Rising Up Again
by nitegoddess11166
Summary: Kagome has always been the one for Inuyasha to lean on, Now that she has lost her family, Inuyasha must help her through the bad times.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Illusion

_Silence_. That was all she wanted right now, as she simply stared past the group of people. Before he, lay three coffins, containing the people she had know all her life.

"_Why did this have to happen? First it was dad, now It's them too,"_ she thought to herself.

The priest was saying something, she didn't know what. She didn't know anything about what was happening around her other than the fact that there were coffins in front of her.

"_I'm supposed to feel sad,"_ she thought. _"but I don't feel anything. Why can't I cry right now?" _

She barely noticed that the crowd was beginning to dissipate, that people were giving her condolences and trying to catch her eye. Still, she remained still, uncaring, unfeeling to the warmth of the sun on her pale skin. Unfeeling to the soft wind as it brushed her hair from her face.

Everyone had gone by now. She was finally alone. Left in the silence. For the first time in hours, she moved toward the coffins. Unable to look inside, she stood there staring.

"I love you Mom, I love you Souta, I love you Grandpa," she finally spoke quietly. With that she finally turned her back, leaving behind the life she had come to know to start anew.

She finally arrived back at the shrine. She stood in the entrance hall for a moment thinking to herself.

"This has been my home for years, always full of commotion. There was Mom cooking Oden, Souta playing video games, grandpa trying to make sutras. Now there was nothing but her." She looked around. There were still unwashed plates in the sink from their last meal together. There was a test with an "A" written on it on the refrigerator, Souta's last test. There were her grandpa's sutras lying on the table.

You would think that this would stir an emotion in someone who had just lost what was left of her family. Yet, Kagome Higurashi felt nothing but emptiness as she gazed at the remainders of a previous life. She finally went up to her room, a place she had gone many times when she was upset or needed to be calmed. She sat on her bed. Looking around her room at the girl she used to be. Bright colors surrounded her, giving the illusion of happiness.

Happiness. What an illusion. What was it? A mere feeling of joy or pleasure that one received? No Kagome had come to realize that happiness in life was an illusion, one which helped to very well cover up the pain and suffering. The high a person would get to keep on going, to keep living. The fact was, life was not happy, no matter how many times you tried to cover it up there was pain, confusion, darkness, everywhere.

Kagome sat on her bed thinking this. She laid down and fell asleep to her rather depressing thoughts.

**AN** Hey people. This is my first fanfic here.If you're reading it, I can tell you right now that its going to probably suck but hey, I hope to improve. I'm basically writing this to find out if I have any creativity in writing onesoever. Hopefully the chapters will get longer as I continue to write. A word of warning, this being my first fic there's a good chance that I'll abandon it n the middle. However, if I get some positive reviews this chance will be reduced. Reviews would be welcome, even if there's not much to review yet.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Alone

Kagome was at school. The teacher was saying something but she wasn't listening. She just kept staring out the window.

_Mom and Gramps would want me to pay attention. They'd want me to go on. But what's left for me in this world?_

The bell finally rang and people began filing out of the school, happily making plans for the upcoming weekend with their friends. She stayed in the classroom after everyone had left for an extra minute. She'd been doing much of the same all week.

The door opened unexpectedly. Kagome saw her three friends come into the classroom. "Hey Kagome!" one of them said. "Why don't you come with us to the new ice cream place?"

"Yeah! It's been ages since you've done anything with us!" Yuka added.

Kagome smiled, but it was a smile that refused to reach farther than a simple curve of the lip. It failed to reach her eyes or light up her face.

"Sorry, I have some stuff I need to do," she replied.

"You sure you're okay Kagome? You've been acting kind of odd," Ayume asked.

Kagome laughed a false laugh "Of course I'm fine you guys! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well if you're sure…"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She smile again

"All right then. See ya tomorrow." Her friends finally left.

Finally, Kagome stopped smiling. It was so hard to keep up this happiness, even if it was false. She finally got up to walk home, thinking about the family she had lost.

_Why they have to die? WHY!_

"No I can't start crying in the middle of the street. I can't!" She whispered to herself.

She finally arrived back at her house. She walked up to her room and sat at her desk.

"Yo wench! What's taking you so long!" She turned around.

There was InuYasha, leaning against the fall with that familiar scowl across his face. She hadn't even realized he was there.

"Hi InuYasha!" She said in a brightly cheerful voice.

"We need to continue looking for jewel shards. You've been here over a week. That's 3 days longer than we agreed to!" He said, his temper rising.

Normally Kagome was patient. Normally she would have reasoned with him saying she had obligations in her time too. However, being under stress, she was not her usual stuff.

"**Geez! Is that all you can think of InuYasha! Finding those damn jewel shards! Maybe I'm tired of putting my life in danger day in and day out. Maybe I'm tired putting up with you're fuckin' attitude. Maybe I want to finally make some decisions for myself. Now listen here! I will go back when I decide to go back. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!"**

InuYasha stared at her. Fear was evident in his eyes.

_Since when did Kagome curse like that?_ He thought. He sniffed. _That's odd. Her family, where are they?_

"Go home InuYasha." His thoughts got interrupted. "I'll be back soon if you leave me alone.'

InuYasha looked at her. "Feh" he growled. _Kagome something's bothering you. You're not acting like yourself._ Still he leapt out the window and soon disappeared down the well. _I'll leave you alone a little while Kagome. But don't think this is over._

Kagome sighed in relief after Inuyasha left. She thought back to what she had said to him. _Oh what have I done? Why did I just yell at InuYasha like that? It's not his fault that any of this happened. _Fnally, for the first time since her family's death…

She cried.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been five hours. Five hours since she first started crying. Yes, Kagome was finally beginning to realize that her family was gone that they were never coming back. That she would never see them again. She'd never be able to give them hugs or cry on their shoulders.

_I miss them so much._ She thought to herself. She looked out her window, seeing the sunshine beating in, suddenly, she felt very angry.

_Why is the sun shinning when I feel so miserable?_ She got up and furiously shut the curtains, allowing herself to sit in mostly darkness.

She laid down on her bed, no longer sobbing, but thinking.

_Why do I live? Why couldn't I have died with my family?_ She laid down on her stomach and put her face into the pillow so that she could barely breathe.

_It would be a lot easier just to end it all._ She thought. _Why should I have to feel this pain. Why shouldn't I just die? I have no family. Who do I have to look out for me?_ She closed her eyes and sunk her face deeper into the pillow.

_I have InuYasha to look out for me. And Sango. And Miroku. Even Shippou and Kaede. They would all look out for me. They all love me like family._ She lifted her face out of the pillow and laid on her back. _But should I burden them with that. All InuYasha does is save my ass. He doesn't need me. Kikyo could help him look for jewel shards probably better than I can. And she's so much stronger than me. Sango needed me for a time, but she's got new friends now. She doesn't need me either. All Miroku really needs is Sango even if he doesn't realize it yet. And Shipou, he has a whole new family to look after him, he doesn't need me either._ Tears started to form in her eyes again, but she held them back.

"No, I will not feel like this!" She got off her bed and sat on her floor in a meditative position.

"Kaede said that meditation helps to clear the mind, that it can help a person to think clearer by sorting through their emotion." She began breathing deeply, becoming more relaxed and letting go of reality. _I just don't want to feel right now._ She let go of every bit of emotion she could. Every thread of anger, every wall of guilt, every pound of grief. Finally satisfied, she returned to an awakened state, feeling physically numb to her emotion.

_I don't have to deal with it now._ She laid down on her bed and fell asleep.

AN I understand there must be a bunch of questions right now. I assure you they will be answered as the story progresses. Please review. Constructive criticism is welcomed.

AN2 Wow! I got 2 reviews! I feel really happy now. I know this chapter was boring. I promise it'll get better.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Crash ! _"dammit"

Kagome woke with a start as she heard something breaking and someone cursing. _"Can't even escape in sleep for a couple of hours"_ she thought.

Just as she sat up on her bed, the door to her room slammed open, nearly putting a hole in the wall. In walked a boy wearing a red outfit quite uncommon for the time period, with silver hair and dog ears.

"Jeez Kagome, whats taking you so long?" Inuyasha asked in his rude like manner. Yet, he had cut back on the curse words.

"_He's probably still thinking about what I said when I last saw him"_ She thought to herself as she felt guilt rise to her chest.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. You're right, I'm taking eons to go back to the Feudal Era. It's not fair to you or the rest of the group." She said, putting on a smile. " Let me pack some supplies and we can leave right away."

Inuyasha watched her as she went to get her big yellow backpack and begin to fill it with food and first aid supplies. He couldn't help but think about what she had said to him last time he saw her.

FLASHBACK

"**Geez! Is that all you can think of InuYasha! Finding those damn jewel shards! Maybe I'm tired of putting my life in danger day in and day out. Maybe I'm tired putting up with you're fuckin' attitude. Maybe I want to finally make some decisions for myself. Now listen here! I will go back when I decide to go back. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!"**

END FLASHBACK

Though Inuyasha was often accused of being insensitive, he could tell something was up with Kagome. The fact that he could smell her tears lingering in her room served to confirm this belief.

"Inuyasha! I'm ready to go now." He heard her shout. He looked at her.

"_Yep. That's probably the_ _fakest smile I've ever seen"_

"Feh, 'bout time." Was all he said. _"I want to have Sango's and Miroku's opinion on this before I talk to her. I'm not good with making people feel better."_

And with that thought, Kagome and Inuyasha jumped down the well.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Kagome!" she heard a yell, just before she felt something nearly tackle her in a hug.

"Did you bring me something Kagome? You said you'd bring me back some chocolate." Shippou said.

Kagome couldn't help but let a small smile come to her face when she saw the small fox demon.

"I'm sorry, Shippou. There was no chocolate at the shrine, but I did bring you something new to try." She pulled out a small bag of round candies. "They're called Jawbreakers, they're basically like lollipops without the stick.

Shippou examined the candies closely, before deciding to give them a try, and popped one in his mouth.

"Wow, these are really good! Thanks Kagome!" and Shippou ran off to eat some more.

"It's nice to see you back, Kagome" a man in purple robes named Miroku greeted her. Shortly follow by a woman.

"Yes, we were wondering what had happened to you. You're not usually gone for that long." The woman said.

"I'm sorry Sango, I was...detained... by some issues in the modern era, but things are better now." She said giving her the usual bright and cheerful smile that she usually had.

"Feh, let's get going already. We've wasted enough time already." Inuyasha's voice interupted.

"For once, I think Inuyasha is right. We should get going." Miroku said.

And with that the group started their journey again.

...(AN Indicates scene change, POV change, etc.)

"So, priestess, you're pretending everything's normal? Very interesting..." A cloaked person chuckled. "I will continue to keep an eye on you, for you are the person who is most likely to destroy me." His mission complete, the foe vanished into the woods.


End file.
